At 21 years old, my brother LJ (Jermaine) was diagnosed with Cholangiocarcinoma, an aggressive form of cancer that affects the liver and the bile ducts.

LJ is an athlete, a friend to all, an energy everyone loves to be around, and as his big sister, I am honored to be able to call myself that. On top of that, he is the uncle of my two kids who love him very much.

LJ has always been a goofball, the life of the party, and the most loving person even if he doesn’t always show it. He is always there for people when they need it the most, and now it’s time to return that same energy to him.

Since being in the hospital, LJ has lost his energy and is in immense pain constantly, causing him to be unrecognizable at times. Despite that, he’s praying, getting connected with God, and trying to keep his spirits high.

He has spent the last 3 weeks in Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, GA, undergoing multiple surgeries and procedures. He is home now in Augusta but will be needing to travel 2 hours back and forth to see his doctors in Atlanta and at times staying in hotels which aren’t cheap. On top of everything, he has had to quit his job due to this. This is the new norm for him and we want to make him as comfortable as we possibly can.

We are raising funds to help support his travel and hotel costs as well as any out-of-pocket costs to the hospital.

He has recently been accepted into the Emory transplant program where he will undergo chemotherapy and extensive radiation to keep the tumor under control and then following that will be a liver transplant.

We are doing this to help ease his mind about medical costs so he can focus on what is important, healing.

So whether you are religious, spiritual, or somewhere in between, I ask you to speak to whoever or whatever you believe in and pray for him to make a full recovery. Even if you cannot donate, please keep him in your thoughts and send love his way. We appreciate you all for your prayers and support.

Let’s get LJ back to being the young man who has the energy to do what he loves; which is to live.